Cavities are very common, and many people have at least one filling in their smile. Some have several. Although they’re that common, cavities are often misunderstood by people. For example, did you know that sugar is not what causes tooth decay?
Call our Winnipeg, MB dental office today at 204-977-8515 to make your next appointment for a dental exam. You can have cavities without feeling a thing, which is why you need a thorough exam from a dentist. Our Winnipeg dentists can help with fillings or dental crowns to repair the damage.
Cavities Are Not Caused By Sugar
Why do you get a cavity? Tooth decay is caused by harmful bacteria that live in your mouth. (Don’t worry, everyone has some of these.) They survive by eating tiny food particles that get trapped on your teeth and gums.
These harmful bacteria also produce an acid. So when they live on the surface of your teeth, that acid burns small holes in the enamel that are called cavities or tooth decay. That’s why it’s so vital to brush and floss regularly. Cleaning your teeth like this will help get rid of the food particles feeding bacteria.
That’s also why people can believe cavities are caused by sugar. Because it’s packed with calories, sugar lets those bacteria thrive and multiply. That increases the acid produced, which leads to more cavities.
Cavity & Filling Facts
Knowledge can help you better protect yourself and your family, so here are some facts about cavities and fillings that everyone should know.
– Any food or drink can lead to more cavities
When it comes to letting those bacteria multiply and get out of control, the two biggest culprits are sugar and carbohydrates. That’s because both are packed with energy. It’s also why avoiding sugary foods can be healthy for your smile.
However, the harmful bacteria behind cavities can survive on just about anything you eat. Even an all-protein diet can lead to cavities if you do not clean your teeth regularly with brushing and flossing.
– Untreated cavities can grow so big that a filling won’t stay in
Since cavities are caused by bacteria, they tend to keep getting worse until you get a treatment like a dental filling. But in order for fillings to work, there has to be enough healthy enamel for that filling to bond with. When a cavity grows too big, a filling will likely fall out.
There is a solution. Our Winnipeg dentists can help in these cases with a dental crown. This is a cap that cover the entire visible part of your tooth. Placing a dental crown over a large cavity seals it up and prevents it from getting any bigger.
– There are no nerves in your enamel, so you cannot normally feel a cavity
Your tooth has nerves, but they’re only in the center of the tooth. The enamel covering it has no nerve endings. (That’s a good thing. If it did, chewing would actually hurt.) But one problem with this is how you don’t feel cavities growing in your enamel. You could have a few cavities growing right now and not know it.
That’s why getting a regular dental exam is so important. Digital X-rays and visual inspections can catch tooth decay when it’s smaller and easier to treat.
– A cavity that grows too deep could infect your tooth
Letting a cavity grow too big could mean a filling won’t work, but there’s another problem to worry about. If a cavity grows too deep, it can break through to the dental pulp. This is where the blood vessels and nerves for the tooth can be found. If a cavity reaches here, the bacteria causing the tooth decay can infect your dental pulp.
This normally gives you a bad toothache. Worse, it starts to turn your enamel brittle. You’ll need a root canal at this point to avoid having the tooth removed.
Call Lakewood Dental Centre today at 204-977-8515 or use our online form to schedule your next dental exam. Because you normally cannot feel cavities in your teeth, you need regular exams to make sure there are none hiding in your teeth.
Brushing your teeth is how you can keep your teeth clean and fight cavities. But how clean is that toothbrush you use? Watch this short video for some tips on keeping clean the brush you use to keep your teeth clean.
Then call our Winnipeg, MB dental office today at 204-977-8515. Our Winnipeg dentists can give you a dental exam to spot any cavities, gum disease, or similar problem that might have slipped past because your toothbrush wasn’t that clean.
There are few things as painful — and worrying — as a bad toothache. Even if it comes and goes, what does it mean? And how can you get rid of the tooth pain?
Call our Winnipeg, MB dental office today at 204-977-8515 and make an appointment with our Winnipeg dentists. There are several reasons why you might have a toothache, but they all need to be looked at by a dentist. Otherwise, things can just get worse.
Although enamel is very durable, it can be damaged. Sports injuries, accidents, and the like can leave you with a chipped tooth. Not only does this look bad, it can lead to tooth sensitivity. It also means that tooth is weaker and more prone to further damage.
Thankfully, you can call our Winnipeg, MB dental office at 204-977-8515 and make an appointment for tooth bonding. Our Winnipeg dentists can use this cosmetic dentistry treatment to fill in the chip, leaving you with a tooth that’s more like how it used to look.
After this many years, it’s no surprise that your smile isn’t looking as good as it used to. All that coffee and tea stains your teeth. Accidents happen, so you can have chips and small cracks in your teeth that show when you smile. And even if you had braces when you were younger, you can now have some small gaps between your teeth. All of this leaves you with an unsightly smile that can be embarrassing to show.
Thankfully, there is a solution. Call our Winnipeg, MB dental office today at 204-977-8515 and make an appointment for dental veneers. Our Winnipeg dentists can use this cosmetic dentistry treatment to transform your smile into something that looks wonderful.
Dental Veneers Explained
What are dental veneers? They’re a cosmetic dentistry treatment, so they improve how your teeth look. Since your smile is an important part of your life, this means dental veneers can also improve your confidence and self-esteem.
Our Winnipeg dentists are trained to offer two kinds of dental veneers: traditional porcelain veneers or e.max veneers. Both are covers for the front of your teeth. Once they are made to fit your teeth individually, you will have them bonded to your teeth. Both porcelain and e.max veneers will look and feel like healthy enamel while being very durable.
But are dental veneers a good choice for you? Here are some pros and cons for this cosmetic dentistry treatment.
Pros Of Getting Dental Veneers
– Dental veneers resist stains
As you continue to eat, anything dark (such as coffee, tea, chocolate, etc.) will leave behind tiny stains on your teeth. That’s why your smile is probably darker than it should be. But dental veneers are more stain-resistant than enamel, so your smile can stay whiter for much longer.
– Dental veneers cover small gaps between teeth
You probably had braces a long time ago. Most people get orthodontic treatment to straighten their teeth when they’re young. However, decades of chewing food can nudge your teeth out of position again, giving you small gaps between your teeth.
Thankfully, our Winnipeg dentists can make your dental veneers just a bit too big in spots. When artfully placed on the front of your teeth, they can cover those small gaps. This makes it look like you just finished another orthodontic treatment.
– Dental veneers are easy to take care of
Speaking of orthodontics, some dental work requires special maintenance. When you have braces, you cannot eat certain foods or you could damage the braces. But with dental veneers, there are no restrictions or special care needed. Just brush, floss, and visit a dentist every six months like normal.
– Dental veneers hide stains and damage
This is probably the biggest benefit you can get with dental veneers. It’s not uncommon to have stained and damaged teeth by now. However, veneers do more than just hide these. Damage to enamel can get worse over the years. Because dental veneers are bonded to the front of your teeth, they protect your teeth and stop that damage from getting worse.
Cons Of Getting Dental Veneers
– Dental veneers won’t change color like your teeth do
Because dental veneers are more resistant to stains than enamel, your smile can look unusual if you only get veneers on some of your visible teeth. It’s a slow process to be sure, and you can get past this by getting more dental veneers.
– Teeth grinding can damage dental veneers
If you are a teeth grinder, then dental veneers could be a problem. All that grinding can damage the veneers on your teeth. It can even make a dental veneer pop off unexpectedly. That’s very rare but still something to consider.
– The dental veneer process is not reversible
In order for your dental veneers to sit flush with your teeth, our Winnipeg dentists will have to remove a thin layer of enamel first. That means the dental veneer process cannot be undone. In other words, you can’t decide one day that you want your veneers gone.
Call Lakewood Dental Centre today at 204-977-8515 or use our online form to schedule your next cosmetic dentistry appointment for dental veneers.
A toothache is never a good thing. Even when it builds and fades, the pain is often on your mind. When will it come back, and more importantly, what does it mean? A toothache is often a sign that you have an infected tooth. Without the right treatment, that toothache can get worse until the tooth itself needs to be removed.
Don’t let it get that bad. Call our Winnipeg, MB dental office today at 204-977-8515 and make your next appointment. Your Winnipeg dentists can determine if your tooth is infected. If so, they can use a root canal procedure to save your tooth. This also ends the toothache that’s been bothering you.
When A Root Canal Is Needed
Unfortunately, everyone has some harmful bacteria in their mouths. Brushing and flossing regularly helps keep them under control because they survive by eating tiny food particles left behind when you eat and drink.
Why are they harmful? Because they produce an acid. When these bacteria are thriving, all that acid burns holes in your enamel called cavities. But since your enamel has no nerve endings, you might not know you have any cavities.
This lets the bacteria keep going until the cavity breaks through to the dental pulp. This is the area inside a tooth where all the blood vessels and nerve endings are found. Once this gets infected, you have a bad toothache. Your enamel also starts to grow brittle as the infection spreads.
That’s when you need a root canal. It can get rid of that infection, end the toothache, and stop your tooth from growing brittle.
Root Canal Myths To Debunk
There are many stubborn myths out there about root canal procedures. Here are some of them and the facts to set the record straight.
MYTH: Root canals are very painful.
FACT: Typically, a root canal is no more painful than getting a filling placed.
This may have been true a long time ago when anesthesia was underdeveloped compared to today. But things have advanced a lot since then. Modern root canals are no more painful than getting tooth decay repaired with a cavity. That’s due to local anesthetic, modern technology, and modern training.
MYTH: Root canals make your tooth weak.
FACT: An infected tooth is weaker before a root canal procedure even begins.
Root canals usually end with a dental crown being put over the tooth. Since dental crowns help strengthen teeth, some people believe a root canal procedure makes your tooth weak. However, that’s not true. The infection is what leads to making your enamel weaker and more brittle. A root canal uses a dental crown because the tooth is already weaker.
MYTH: Root canals lead to an increased risk of cancer and arthritis.
FACT: Root canals remove infections, not cause any.
Long ago, one dentist published his own study saying there was a link between root canal procedures and all kinds of illnesses, including cancer and arthritis. Since then, that study has been debunked and proven wrong. In fact, root canals make you healthier because they can remove infections in a tooth before it can spread.
How Root Canal Procedures Usually Look
Although everyone’s root canal can be slightly different, here’s how a typical root canal procedure from our Winnipeg dentists will look like.
- Digital X-rays are taken to locate the infection inside your tooth.
- The tooth and surrounding area are numbed using a local anesthetic, then thoroughly cleaned.
- Our Winnipeg dentist makes a small opening in your tooth so they can reach the infection in your dental pulp.
- Using special tools, they carefully remove the infected dental pulp. This gets rid of the infection.
- If there is enough space left behind, an inert material is used to fill up the extra space.
- You get a beautiful dental crown placed over that tooth.
Call Lakewood Dental Centre today at 204-977-8515 or use our online form to schedule your next appointment for a dental exam. If our Winnipeg dentists find anything with the exam, you can get a root canal to get rid of tooth pain and save your smile.
It’s the height of summer, but fall isn’t too far away. It’s just a few months, in fact. That means you really need to start thinking about how you smile looks. There are several times in autumn when you want your smile looking its best. But that won’t happen unless you do something about it. In fact, cosmetic problems with your teeth can just get worse.
Call our Winnipeg, MB dental office today at 204-977-8515 and schedule your initial appointment for a smile makeover. Our Winnipeg dentists can help your smile look amazing in time for fall — you just need to call first.
The Fall Events Where You Want Great Teeth
While you never want to have unsightly teeth, there are times when that’s more of a problem. Here are a few events this fall that can go smoother with a beautiful smile.
- School pictures: Many schools take photos during the fall months. How do you want your smile to look in that yearbook or school website?
- Work pictures: Businesses these days are taking photos of employees for websites, ID badges, and more. What kind of smile do you want to be associated with your career?
- Thanksgiving Day: Families often gather together for some turkey, football games, and more. How do you want your teeth to look like at these family gatherings?
- Halloween: With its focus on costumes, this holiday emphasizes how you look much more than others. How will your smile go with your costume?
That’s why calling our Winnipeg dentists today makes sense. Some cosmetic dentistry treatments take a while before they are complete. By setting up a smile makeover consultation today, you can be one step closer to having that great smile you want.
How A Smile Makeover Helps You
What is a smile makeover? It’s a comprehensive plan to use different cosmetic dentistry treatments until your smile looks great. At your initial appointment, you’ll speak to Dr. Dhillon or Dr. McDermid and explain how you want your smile to look for the fall. Then you’ll discuss the cosmetic dentistry treatments available to help you get that look. Here are some of the treatments you can get as part of your smile makeover.
TEETH WHITENING
Years of drinking coffee, tea, and more can leave behind tiny stains on your teeth. This is a slow process, so many don’t realize how dark their smile has gotten until it’s too late. That’s why you can get professional-strength teeth whitening from our Winnipeg dentists. This can remove stains and turn your smile whiter.
DENTAL VENEERS
Sometimes called “instant orthodontics,” dental veneers can provide a quick and dramatic change to your smile. They are thin, shell-like covers for the front of your teeth. Dental veneers are made to look like healthy enamel. Once placed on your teeth, they will hide stains and imperfections.
TOOTH BONDING
Tooth bonding is a more affordable alternative to dental veneers. It just usually doesn’t last as long. Here, our Winnipeg dentists will carefully apply a tooth-colored resin to the front of your teeth. This will fill in any chips or cracks, but it will also cover over stains.
GUM RESHAPING
Your smile is more than just your teeth. Gums are supposed to play a small but important part of your smile. So when you have too much gum tissue or it starts pulling away from your teeth, your smile looks unusual. Thankfully, you can call our Winnipeg, MB dental office to include gum reshaping in your smile makeover. This treatment changes your gumline so your smile looks more normal.
TOOTH-COLORED FILLINGS
Old metal fillings can still be used to treat cavities. They still work. It’s just that metal tends to stick out in your smile. That’s why you can get tooth-colored fillings instead. They fill in a cavity and make the tooth stronger just like metal ones. By matching the color of the tooth it repairs, a tooth-colored filling will blend in with your smile and make it look better.
Call Lakewood Dental Centre today at 204-977-8515 or use our online form to schedule your initial appointment for a smile makeover before fall arrives.
If it’s been awhile since your last dental visit, you don’t know what’s going on with your teeth and gums. But one common problem that builds up is plaque and tartar. Both can irritate your gums and help lead to gum disease.
Thankfully, there is a solution. Call our Winnipeg, MB dental office at 204-977-8515 and make a new appointment. Our Winnipeg dentists can use a deep cleaning treatment called scaling and root planing. This can remove plaque and tartar before they create the conditions for gum disease.
It’s summer, and many people will drink responsibly at backyard parties, summer concerts, and more. While there’s nothing wrong with that, you do need to be careful. Beer, wine, and mixed drinks can lead to cavities, gum disease, discolored teeth, and more.
That’s why you need to call our Winnipeg, MB dental office today at 204-977-8515. Our Winnipeg dentists are ready to help with thorough dental exams to see if alcohol has created any problems already. If so, you can get the needed dental treatments to help keep your mouth healthy.